wickwire



April 14, 1964 c. F. WICKWIRE 3,128,961

WIRE comma MACHINE Filed Jari. s, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 75 /1/ gig $33 Is :WK- {l 76 16 'II/I/I/I/I/l l'l/I/I/I/I/I/l/A INVENTOR ChesierEWickwir-e ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,128,961 PatentedApr. 14, 19.64

3,128,961 WIRE COILING MACHKNE Chester F. Wickwire, Cortland, N.Y.,assignor to Wickwire Brothers, Inc Cortland, N.Y., a corporation of NewYork Filed Jan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 164,829 7 Claims. (Cl. 242-82) Thisinvention relates to wire coiling machines.

In general, wire coiling machines can be grouped into two categories,namely those that form the coil on a rotating reel or drum, and thosethat form the coil or dead package, as it is frequently called, on astationary accumulating pin. While the coils formed on machines of thefirst type lie fiat and are inherently unstressed, those formed with thesecond type of machine are wild and unruly unless some means is providedfor rotating the wire 360 about its axis for every complete coil laidonto the accumulating pin. The prior art discloses many schemes forforming dead packages, but some do not permit continuous operation,'and,in general, all are characterized by complicated and expensive apparatusfor imparting the necessary 360 twist per coil to the wire.

The object of this invention is to provide a relatively simple andinexpensive machine for continuously forming large dead packages ofwire. Briefly, the machine includes a curved guide pipe which rotatesaround the accumulating pin on a vertical axis and a pair of cantedrotating cylinders that are located on opposite sides of and inengagement with the wire moving toward the entrance of the guide pipe.The cylinders are arranged to impart longitudinal as well as twistingmovement to the wire and are driven in synchronism with the'guide pipeso that the length of wire which forms each coil is rotated 360 aboutits axis as it passes between the cylinders. The Wire is drawn into themachine by a capstan located ahead of the cylinders so that thecylinders need only impart sufiicient longitudinal force to the wire topush it through the rotating guide pipe.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinwith'reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the machine.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the machine.

FIG. 3 is an end view of them'achine as seen from the left side ofFIG. 1. I

FIG. 4 is an'enlarged view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3 showing thesupport 'for the lower universal bearing.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a schematic planview of an alternative scheme for impartingtwist to the wire.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the alternative twisting mechanism of FIG.7.

As shown in the drawings, the Wire coiling machine is carried by a frame11 supported on four columns 12 anchored to the floor (not shown) anddefining a coiling area containing the stationary accumulating pin 13. Acurved guide pipe 14, journaled in bearing 15mounted on lower frameplate 16, rotates about a vertical axis aligned with the axis of pin 13.The guide pipe has an entrance 17 located on the axis of rotation and anexit 13 spaced radially from that axis and located below the entrance.

The wire W from which the coil is to be formed is fed to the entrance ofthe guide pipe through a 90 curved pipe 19 supported by a bracket 21fixed to intermediate frame plate 22. Ahead of this pipe 19 are a pairof driven stellite rolls 23 and 24 which impart to the wire W therequired 360. twist per revolution of guide tively, of the frame 11.Roll 24, on the other hand, is

fixed to a shaft 29 that is journaled in universal bearings 31 and 32.Upper universal bearing 31 is carried by a slide 33 whose edges arebeveled to form a sliding dovetail joint with the guides 34 and 35attached to upper frame plate 28. Slide 33 is free to move in adirection substantially parallel with the direction of movement of wireW between rolls 23 and 24 under the action of adjusting screws 36 and37. A pair of lock nuts 38 and 39 maintain slide 33 in the'selectedposition. A pointer 41 and cooperating scale 42 carried by slide 33 andguide 34, respectively, aid the operator in positioning slide 33 toestablish the desired angle of tilt for roll 24.

The lower universal bearing 32, which is identical to the bearing 31, iscarried by a slide 43 movable in a direction normal to the direction ofmovement of slide 33 between guides 44 and 45 attached to the under sideof intermediate frame plate 22. As in the case of slide 33 and guides 34and 35, the slide 43 forms a sliding dovetail joint with guides 44 and45. Three coil compression springs 46, reacting between seat 47 andslide 43, bias the slide 43 in the direction of wire W and maintaincontact between the Wire W and rolls 23 and 24. Spring seat 47 isslidable between intermediate frame plate 22 and guide 48 fixed to sideframe plate 49 to vary the bias exerted by springs 46, An adjustingscrew 56 and lock nut 51 are provided for this purpose.

Projecting from the right side of frame 11, as viewed in FIG. 1, is asubframe 52 which supports two sets of wire straightening rolls 53 and54 located on opposite sides of a capstan 55. The capstan shaft 56 isjournalled in bearings 57 and 58 carried by subframe 52.

Rotary guide pipe 14, rolls 23 and 24, and capstan 55 are driven inunison by a single electric motor indicated at 59. The motor 59 iscoupled directly with roll shaft 25 and torque is transmitted from thisshaft to the guide pipe 14 through a belt 61 and a pair of sheaves 62and 63 carried by shaft 25 and guide pipe 14, respectively. A secondbelt 64 and set of sheaves 65 and 66 carried by shaft 26 and capstanshaft 56, transmit torque to the capstan 55. A pair of rubber wheels 67and 68 fixed to shafts 25 and 29, respectively, transmit power to thetilting roll 24. 5

Continuous operation of the coiling machine is desirable and, therefore,means are provided for temporarily catching the coils laid down by guidepipe 14 during the time required to remove a full accumulating pin 13and substitute a new one. As shown in the drawings, these meansincludethreefingers 69 pivot-ally mounted on pins 71 carried by theanglebrackets 72 attached to the under side of frame plate 16 and spacedequiangularly around the axis of rotation of guide pipe 14. Each finger69 is formed with a' circular cylindrical portion 73 that projectsupward through an opening in frame plate 16 and is arranged to beengaged by a cam 74 carried by an actuating ring 75. Ring 75 is providedwith a handle 76 and is mounted for rotational movement about the axisof rotation of guide pipe 14 by three grooved rollers 77 journaled onstub shafts 78 projecting upward from frame plate 16. When ring 75 is inthe position shown in the drawings, springs 79 hold the fingers 69 outof the path of the wire issuing from guide pipe 14 and the wire,therefore, accumulates on pin 13. When the ring 75 is rotated in aclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2), cams 74 engage fingerportions 73 and force them outward against the bias of springs 79 Sincethe wire catching portions of the fingers 69 are located on the oppositesides of the pivot pins 71 from the cam-engaging portions, they aremoved inward into the path of travel of the wire W and form a temporarysupport on which the coils can rest while the coil on pin 13 is severedand removed. As soon as an empty accumulating pin is installed, theoperator returns the ring 75 to the illustrated position and the springs79 withdraw the fingers 69 and allow the coils that have accumulated onthem to drop onto the new accumulating pin 13.

The coiling machine of this invention is especially useful in continuouswire drawing operations wherein the wire passes through the dies, thenthrough either an annealing furnace or a galvanizing bath and finally tothe coiler. :To commence operation, the end of the wire W is threaded byhand through the straightening rolls S3, wrapped once around the capstan55, thence through the straightening rolls 54, between rolls 23 and 24,and through pipe 19 and into rotary guide pipe 14. The end of the wireis left free and need not be attached to accumulating 1.

pin '13.

When motor 59 is running, wire W is drawn into the machine by capstan 55and then removed from the capstan and pushed through the guide pipe 19and rotary guide pipe 14 by the driven canted rolls 23 and 24. Becauseof the tilt of the roll shaft 29, the rolls 23 and 24 impart twisting aswell as longitudinal motion to the wire. The angle of tilt of shaft 29is selected to produce 360 of twist for each coil laid onto pin 13, andtherefore, de-

pends upon the diameter of the wire and the diameter of the coil beingproduced. When the guide pipe 14 is rotating in a clockwise direction,as viewed in FIG. 2 roll shaft 29 is tilted in the direction illustratedso that the wire W is twisted in the clockwise direction (viewed in thedirecton of travel). The angle of tilt of shaft 29 can be calculatedapproximately and established by suitable adjustment of screws 36 and 37before motor 59 is started. However, due to slippage, final adjustmentof the angle of tilt is required after the machine is in operation.Since the coils formed by the rotating guide pipe 14 lie fiat only whenthe wire is given the proper twist of 360 per coil, the operator has nodifficulty determining when the angle of tilt is correct.

The diameter of the coil formed by this machine depends upon the ratioof the speed of rotation of the guide pipe 14 to the feeding speed ofthe wire and can be changed simply by changing the relative diameters ofsheaves 62 and 63.

While in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6 the wire is twisted and fedlongitudinally by a pair of rolls 23 and 24, other forms of rotatingcylinders can be used. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate, in schematic form, analternative arrangement which utilizes a pair of canted belts 81 and 82.These belts are provided with projecting lugs or teeth 83 on their innersurfaces that mate with driving teeth (not shown) on the drive rolls 84and 85. As in the main embodiment, one of the driven cylinders (namelybelt 81) is tilted and the other moves in a direction parallel with thedirection of movement of the wire W. Of course, it should be understoodthat both cylinders in either embodiment may be tilted.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described indetail it will be obvious that many changes can be made in the structureof this embodiment without departing from the inventive concept. Becauseof this, the following claims should provide the sole measure of thescope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. machine for coiling wire of circular cross section comprising (a) acurved guide pipe mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and havingan entrance on the axis of rotation and an exit spaced radially fromthat axis;

(b) means for feeding wire to the entrance of the guide pipe including apair of rotary cylinders which are canted with respect to each other andbetween which the wire moving toward the entrance is fed, the cylindersimparting longitudinal movement to the wire and being so cantedrelatively to each other that they twist the wire about its longitudinalaxis approximately 360 per loop of the coil to be formed; and

(c) drive means for rotating the pipe and the canted cylinders.

2. A machine for coiling wire of circular cross section comprising (a) astationary frame;

1(1)) a curved guide pipe supported by the frame for rotation about avertical axis and having an entrance on the axis of rotation and an exitspaced radially from the axis and positioned below the entrance;

(c) a capstan journaled for rotation by the frame;

(d) a pair of rotary cylinders canted with respect to each other andsupported by the frame, the cylinders being interposed between thecapstan and the entrance of the guide pipe and arranged to impartlongitudinal motion to the wire traveling from the capstan to theentrance of the guide pipe and to twist the wire about its longitudinalaxis approximately 360 per loop of the coil to be formed; and

(e) motor means for driving the guide pipe, the capstan and the rotarycylinders in synchronism.

3. The machine defined in claim 2 including means associated with atleast one of the rotary cylinders for varying its angle of cant.

4. The machine defined in claim 2 in which the motor means comprises.

(a) a single motor;

( b) torque transmitting means interconnecting the motor, the guidepipe, the capstan and the canted cylinders, whereby all of the rotaryparts rotate in synchronism.

5. The machine defined in claim 4 including (a) a set of straighteningrolls supported by the frame and interposed in the path of travel of thewire between the capstan and the canted cylinders; and

(b) a second set of straightening rolls supported by the frame andinterposed in the path of travel of the wire ahead of the capstan.

6. A wire coiling machine comprising (a) a stationary frame;

(1)) a curved guide pipe supported by the frame for rotation about avertical axis and having an entrance on the axis of rotation and an exitspaced radially from the axis of and positioned below the entrance;

(0) a pair of rolls located adjacent the path of travel of wire movingtoward the entrance of the guide pipe and arranged to engage theopposite sides of the wire;

(d) a pair of shafts, each carrying one of the rolls;

(e) bearing means supported by the frame and journaling one of theshafts for rotation about an axis transverse to the direction of travelof the wire between the rolls;

(1) a pair of universal bearings journaling the other shaft for rotationabout an axis transverse to the direction of travel of the wire betweenthe rolls;

(g) a first adjustable support for one of the universal bearings carriedby the frame and movable in a direction generally parallel with thedirection of movement of the wire between the rolls to cant one rollwith respect to the other;

(12) a second adjustable support for the other of the universal bearingscarried by the frame and movable in a direction normal to the directionof travel of the wire between the rolls;

(i) spring means biasing the second adjustable support in the directionof the wire to thereby press the associated roll against the wire andpress the wire against the other roll;

(j) locking means for holding the first adjustable support in a selectedposition;

5 6 (k) a drive motor; and References Cited in the file of this patent(l) torque transmitting means interconnecting the guide UNITED STATESPATENTS tpipe, the two roll shafts and the drive motor, the 667,870 Edwar d8 M ,Feb. 12 1901 orq'ue transmitting means so arranged that therolls 1 822 589 George et a1 Sept 8 1931 move the wire toward theentrance of the guide pipe. 5 ,2O38204 Bidk Apr 1936 7. The machinedefined in claim 6 including a rotary 2:833:329 DBPO; g, 1958 capstansupported by the frame and located ahead of the 2 90 073 Blake et 1 Aug1 95 rolls so that the wire passes around it at least once before 2 929,575 Kovaleski M 22, 19 0 moving to the rolls; and in which the torquetransmitting 10 3,023,977 Whitacre Mar. 6, 1962 means is arranged todeliver torque to the capstan. 3,040,946 Briggs June 26, 1962

1. A MACHINE FOR COILING WIRE OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION COMPRISING (A) ACURVED GUIDE PIPE MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS AND HAVINGAN ENTRANCE ON THE AXIS OF ROTATION AND AN EXIT SPACED RADIALLY FROMTHAT AXIS; (B) MEANS FOR FEEDING WIRE TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE GUIDE PIPEINCLUDING A PAIR OF ROTARY CYLINDERS WHICH ARE CANTED WITH RESPECT TOEACH OTHER AND BETWEEN WHICH THE WIRE MOVING TOWARD THE ENTRANCE IS FED,THE CYLINDERS IMPARTING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT TO THE WIRE AND BEING SOCANTED RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER THAT THEY TWIST THE WIRE ABOUT ITSLONGITUDINAL AXIS APPROXIMATELY 360* PER LOOP OF THE COIL TO BE FORMED;AND (C) DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING THE PIPE AND THE CANTED CYLINDERS.